Isaiah 46:1-7
Legacy Standard Bible
Babylon’s Idols and the True God
46 (A)Bel has bowed down, Nebo stoops over;
Their images are on the beasts and the cattle.
The things [a]that you carry are burdensome,
A load for the weary beast.
2 They stooped over, they have bowed down together;
They could not rescue the load,
But [b]have themselves (B)gone into captivity.
3 “(C)Hear Me, O house of Jacob,
And all (D)the remnant of the house of Israel,
You who have been (E)burdening Me from [c]birth
And have been carried from the womb;
4 Even to your old age [d](F)I will be the same,
And even to your [e](G)graying years I will bear you!
I have [f]done it, and I will carry you;
And I will bear you, and I will rescue you.
5 “(H)To whom would you liken Me
And make Me equal and compare Me,
That we would be alike?
6 Those who (I)lavish gold from the purse
And weigh silver on the scale,
They hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;
They (J)fall down, indeed they worship it.
7 They (K)carry it upon the shoulder and bear it;
They set it in its place, and it stands there.
(L)It does not move from its place.
Though one may cry to it, it (M)cannot answer;
It (N)cannot save him from his distress.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 46:1 Lit carried by you
- Isaiah 46:2 Or their soul has
- Isaiah 46:3 Lit the belly
- Isaiah 46:4 Lit I am He
- Isaiah 46:4 Lit gray hairs
- Isaiah 46:4 Or made you
Isaiah 46:1-7
Common English Bible
Babylon’s idols can’t compare
46 Bel crouches down; Nebo cowers.
Their idols sit on animals, on beasts.
The objects you once carried about
are now borne as burdens by the weary animals.
2 They crouch down and cower together.
They aren’t able to rescue the burden,
but they themselves go into captivity.
3 Listen to me, house of Jacob,
all that remains from the house of Israel
who have been borne by me since pregnancy,
whom I carried from the womb
4 until you grow old. I am the one,
and until you turn gray I will support you.
I have done it, and I will continue to bear it;
I will support and I will rescue.
5 To whom will you liken me and count me equal
and compare me so that we are alike?
6 Those who pour out gold from a bag
and weigh silver with a balance
hire a metalworker; then he makes a god.
They bow down; they worship;
7 they carry the idol[a] on their shoulders and support it;
they set it down, and it stands still,
unable to move from its place.
If one cries out to it, it doesn’t answer.
It can’t save people from their distress.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 46:7 Or it
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